Love, Unexpected
by sweeneytoddgurl
Summary: Haymitch and Effie have always had a somewhat stormy relationship, but could there be something more behind the eyerolling and sarcastic remarks? Takes place after Catching Fire. Please R&R!
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: I recently finished Catching Fire, and I absolutely LOVED it, so I decided to write a very short Effie/Haymitch fanfic, because they belong together!!! Maybe I'm reading too closely into the story, but oh, well! I also want to say that I will be posting my opinions about the Hunger Games series on my blog, .com. Anyway, I hope you like the story, please R&R!!! ^_^**

Prologue

Effie's POV

_I tapped my fingers against the splintered wooden table, exasperated as well as offended. It was bad etiquette to be late. It was also very annoying._

_Finally, the door opened, and the drunken fool staggered into the room. He was holding a bottle of white liquor, and his eyes were bloodshot. He smelled of vomit, alcohol, and something that I couldn't quite place. Revolting._

_It was hard to believe that this man was the champion of the second Quarter Quell, Haymitch Abernathy._

_Why was I seeing him? Well, President Snow wanted me to be the escort for District Twelve. I was to bring the tributes from the Hunger Games to the Capitol and back (if that ever happened)._

_Nevertheless, I stood up and held my hand out towards him to shake, "Hello! I'm Effie Trinket, District Twelve's new escort! It's a pleasure to meet you!"_

_Haymitch looked at, and snorted, and I pulled back, revolted. I decided not to comment, however. He obviously wasn't thinking due to the alcohol. I couldn't help but think that one day, I'll get a promotion. Then I'll never have to deal with District Twelve again. I'll be on to bigger and better things._

_Another year. Another year of dealing with Haymitch Abernathy and this pitiful district. It was sheer torture. _

"_Ladies first!" I chirped at the reaping, pulling out a slip of paper, "Primrose Everdeen!"_

_A scared, young girl walked onto the stage. Obviously I wasn't going to be escorting _this _one back. Such a pity._

"_No! Prim! I volunteer!" another girl shouted, running onstage. That was about all the excitement this reaping held. Except when Haymitch fell off the platform. That _was _funny._

_District Twelve's tributes were weak-looking, and I had absolutely no doubts that I wouldn't be escorting these two back…_

**Chapter One (after Catching Fire!)**

_Haymitch's POV_

I rubbed some ointment on my face where Katniss had scratchedme. I can sometimes forget how sharp women keep their nails. Like Effie's nails. Long, with a delicate curve, and always painted to match her wig. The nails were always attached to those dainty hands of hers.

I wondered if she would be in trouble with the Capitol. Would she be executed on live television? Would she be tortured?

No. I couldn't live with myself should that happen. Effie was almost like a dear friend to me, albeit a somewhat irritating one, who could make me want to kill her on some occasions. However, though I would never admit it, my life would be drastically different without her. I've been working with her for five years now, and our relationship has always been stormy at times, but sometimes I would think that there was something more underneath the sarcastic remarks and annoyed eye rolls. Something I could never place.

I remember when I first started working with her. We had a very rocky start:

**Flashback**

_I entered my room, holding my bottle of wine while ignoring the helpless sobs of the two tributes ready for slaughter. There really wasn't any chance that they would be returning at all, so what was the point of trying to help them?_

_Effie stormed into the room just as I lay down on my bed, "That was unnecessary, Haymitch."_

_I snorted; the old escort would not have cared, "Like you care!"_

_She rolled her eyes, "You have to help them! If you don't, I'll never get that promotion!"_

_I took a sip of wine, "You know, you people are all the same!"_

"_What's that supposed to mean?" Effie put her hands on her hips._

_I couldn't help but chuckle, "You know what I mean," _

_I could see the fury in her eyes, and I took a secret satisfaction in watching her unravel, "If you would stop drinking, maybe your district would win!"_

"_No," I said, my voice full of disdain, "I wouldn't give you the satisfaction!"_

_She turned red, "Give me the wine."_

_I gave her a look, and took a big gulp from the bottle._

_This infuriated her; Effie jumped on the bed, and put her knees on either side of me. She leaned over me, and grabbed the bottle, "I said give it to me!"_

"_No!" I shouted._

_We struggled for awhile. Effie's wig was barely on and our button up shirts had become undone. I guess that it must have looked wrong to the other tributes. They had walked in on us, and were now staring at us, mouths agape._

_Effie screamed, and buttoned up her shirt, while I pushed her off me. "What do you want?" I growled._

_They shook their heads, and Effie tried to straighten her wig, "You two get to bed! You have a big, big day ahead!"_

_I chortled at her pep, and she gave me a look of utter disdain. The kids walked out, and Effie turned to look at me, "That was utterly humiliating!"_

"_Oh, yeah! Because looking at your chest is _so _fascinating for me!" I replied sarcastically._

"_You are a sick-minded man!" she exclaimed, finally getting her wig into place._

_I laughed coldly, while she stormed out of the room. We will never be able to see eye-to-eye. Ever._

**End of Flashback**

I couldn't help but give a slight chuckle when I remembered that night. We did have a horrible start, but I also wondered what it would be like to be just friends with one another. To have more than a mutual understanding. To be something besides coworkers.

Or maybe more than friends.

That thought had shaken me. Us, romantically involved? To wake up beside her every morning. To like together, to be together. We would never have kids, even if we lived in the Capitol, but what about marriage? Would I be willing to give up everything to be with Effie?

Would I be willing to be sober with her?

Would she even _want_ to be with me?

**A/N: I hope you liked this chapter, the next one will be from Effie's POV. Please R&R! Your opinion matters!!! ^_^**


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: I hope you liked the last chapter, and I'm sorry that I haven't updated in awhile, but I've been very busy lately! However, I'll try to update a little more often!!! ^_^**

Chapter 2

_Haymitch's POV_

For three days straight, Katniss ingnored everyone, she just blocked them out. I know that she has every right to be angry. After all, everything she once had was gone. But she wasn't the only one who had lost people she loved. I decided that a convesation was in order.

-----------------

The minute I walked into the room, Katniss had already shut me out. I pulled up a chair right next to her bed, "So, sweetheart. Why are you being stupid? Why are you being immature?"

She turned to look at me, fury in her eyes, "What? You're asking _me_ why? _You_ know the answer to that."

"This is about Peeta?" I asked. Silence was all I recieved in return. "You don't think that I care about him? Well, I do!"

Katniss gave me a stony glance, "Then why did you let him get captured? You've only gained from this!"

This comment blinded me with rage, "What?! UI've lost much more than you think! Myself! My family! My sanity! I'll never see Chaff, Peeta, or Effie again! Effie..."

Then, it hit me. I'll never see Effie again, I couldnt' possibly...Not with the rebellion. Sure, she irked me at times, but she always knew how to make my heart skip a beat. I even remmeber the last day I spoke to her...

_They were in the aena. Only a little while to go. I rubbed the plush couch, it's still the same after twenty five years. I turned when I heard sniffling behind me. It was Effie, sitting in a chair behind me._

_She looked up and noticed me staring, "Oh, Haymitch! I didn't know...I'm sorry, it's just..."_

_I shook my head, "No, it's fine, really. Why are you crying?"_

_"No, I'm fine, really."_

_"C'mon, tell me," I prodded, happily knowing that I was annoying her._

_"None of your business, Haymitch," Effie replied, hiccoughing. _

_I pretended that she had hurt my feelings, "Oh, right in the heart! Oh, how you do run on, Miss Trinket!"_

_You're despicable!" Effie muttered, closing the distance between the two of us, "I have despised you ever since we first met! Do you remember that day? You can't,of course! You were drunk!"_

_"I do, in fact remember that day, Effie," I muttered, "You, all frilly and ridiculous. A stupid, shallow person of the Capitol!"_

_Effie snarled, "You are positively barbaric!"_

_I spread my arms out wide, "Guess who made me so?"_

_"That's not fair, Haymitch! You were the ones who rebelled," Effie exclaimed._

_"Us? No, not us, Effie! My ancestors! Seventy five years ago!"_

_"It's to remind you. The districts would never have survived without us!" she defended, her entire body was quivering._

_"And now Katniss and Peeta will die because of our valient leaders in the Capitol," I said, gruffly, knowing that I had won our argument._

_This, however, set her off. Effie started sobbing, "You're right! I can't believe-" She thrust herself into my arms, and started beating her fists against my chest, "Haymitch, I'll never see them again! They were the best tributes that I've ever had to escort, and now they'll die! Oh, Haymitch!"_

_Pity was what made me stand there with my arms around her, for who knows how long. For some reason, I felt comforted with her in my arms. In fact, too comfortable. I released her, and headed towards the exit, "By the way, Effie, Katniss and Peeta send their love."_

------

I really wished that my last words to Effie had been something else. Maybe, "Thanks for everything," or "You've been a great escort," or even "I love you." I love you?! Where did that come from?

I stood there, shocked as I addressed Katniss, "I'm so sorry, sweetheart. I know the pain you feel. Love."

"What do you mean?" she asked, confused, but still not letting her guard down.

I spread out my arms, "I'm in love, Katniss. With Effie. Did you know that she might die because of what I did? Did you know that I will never see her again? I bet you didn't know how much fun we had pissing each other off. I bet you couldn't see the love that we shared. A love so secret, that even we didn't know it."

She stared at me, "Peeta will die too, Haymitch. Because of what you did."

I nodded grimly, "But many more will die if I didn't do what I did."

"Haymitch! An entire district was destroyed! Peeta, Johanna, Enobaria, Cinna, and many others are probably being tortured right now for information. And it's all because of you!" she said accusingly.

I hung my head, defeated, and sighed, "You're right Katniss. I'm sorry. But what can I do now?"

"Go back, Haymitch. Go back and save them. Go back and get Effie and Peeta. Undo what you did."

I stared at her in disbelief, "Go-Go back to the Capitol? That's a death sentence!"

"It's a death sentence for Peeta, Effie, Cinna, and Portia if you don't."

I weighed my options carefully, before sighing, "OK, sweetheart. Let's go back to the Capitol. Let's go save Peeta and Effie."

* * *

**A/N: I'm sorry that Haymitch seemed out of character, but originally there was a better version, but it was deleted, and I didn't have a written copy of it! Anyways, please R&R, and constructive criticism is accepted! ^_^**


End file.
